| OCR Text |
Show I There is a wrong in this county which should be righted. We refer to the so-called "Fence Law," voted in about a year ago, whereby tht burden and expense of protecting prrperty is thrust upon the farmer, instead of resting upou the coustitut?d legal authorities, where it belongs. The effect of this law is that the county is declared, virtually, to te free pasture land, aud the farmers who suffer loss or damage by bands ' of loose cattle or other stock, have no recourse as to recovery of damages. This immense Milford Valley, including the vast areas to the north and south of Milford, is being rBpidly settled by ranchers, either "dry-farmers" or those with lands under irrigation. In most cases, these folks have risked all they possessed on the securing of a little home and a few acres of laud. They cannot afford to fence their lands at this time, and should not be expected to do so, but under this law tliey must fence or Buffer loss. The Constitution guarai.tef-s every man pr 'tectum, of property; this law denies this protection except under unreasonable baidillips. A farmer's crops do cot get loose aud bother another man's : ; Hock; why should the law be partial? We might just as well and reasonably excuse our friends, the enemy on the south when he would say to us, "Put up a stockade along your southern border to keep us from raiding American towns, otherwise we disclaim dis-claim responsibility." The Fence Law is a menace to the growth and development de-velopment of Milford Valley and of the couuty iu general, and should te repealed. This is no longer a strictly cattle country; times have changed since the days when this valley was a free range, and former conditions must give way to td 3 settlement of the country. Word has just come to the NEWS of the destruction of a total of 1200 acres of growing grain, to the south of Milford, by bands of cattle, which, at various times, have been allowed to graze on the crops of the "dry farmers." Itiseven claimed that cattle have been deliberately driven on these lands after dark aud removed before morning. There is no justice in this condilion of affairs aud farmers have reached the limit of their endurance. The NEWS will continue to agitate this matter and it is a question that should occupy the close attention of the voters. Judging from sentiments freely expressed by many who have suffered from this outrage, the matter WILL occupy the serious attention of the voters. |
